The benefits of low-impact aerobic exercises have become well known to exercise enthusiasts over the past several years. Sports such as walking, swimming, and bicycling offer many of the same benefits as high impact forms of exercise, but do not place as much strain on the participant's body. Walking has always been advocated as a beneficial health measure, and is currently the most popular form of exercise. In fact, recent polls show that some 100 million people walk for exercise. Low impact walking exercises provide a means of exercise for nearly everyone, regardless of age or cardiovascular condition. Walking exercises serve to strengthen the heart and lungs, making them work more efficiently. Studies have shown that this easy to perform, natural activity can provide powerful health benefits including reduced anxiety, weight loss, reduced cholesterol levels, controlled hypertension, improved cardiovascular health, and slowed aging. Walking exercises also improve muscle and skeletal strength, particularly in the walker's arms and legs. Walking exercises much of the walker's body to at least some extent, though walkers have found it advantageous to enhance the workout to the walker's upper body and to increase the muscular workout available to the walker's lower body. The recent increase in interest and participation in walking exercises has led to the development of exercising accessories to be used in conjunction with a walker's or light jogger's workout. More particularly, walkers have desired to incorporate into their walking routine some form of enhanced muscular exercise, allowing them to build muscle mass to a greater extent than if they were walking unassisted. To this end, walkers have in the past carried free weights while they walk in order to provide some upper body muscular workout during their walking routine.
One drawback to walking exercises is the fact that it is usually practiced outdoors. Thus, the walker's security is entirely dependent on the security of the walker's neighborhood. Even those who exercise in a health club or gym can place themselves at risk when they walk from the gym to their car or to a bus stop after dark. Likewise, if the walker is walking outdoors after sundown, they always run the risk of a dangerous confrontation with traffic if they are not properly illuminated. To alleviate these problems, walkers will at times carry a simple walking stick which can serve to provide some means of defense against would be attackers, and a flashlight to indicate their presence to traffic.